RESULTS
with
Glencoe TechCONNECT
Glencoe
TechCONNECT helps
meet NCLB goals.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the following schools for sharing their experiences with the
Glencoe TechCONNECT team:
Belle Vue Middle School
Leon County Schools
Tallahassee, Florida
Monroe Alternative Middle School
Columbus Public Schools
Columbus, Ohio
Crandall Middle School
Crandall Independent School District
Crandall, Texas
Odom Middle School
Beaumont Independent School District
Beaumont, Texas
General Sherman Junior High School
Lancaster City Schools
Lancaster, Ohio
South Park Middle School
Beaumont Independent School District
Beaumont, Texas
Hilltonia Middle School
Columbus Public Schools
Columbus, Ohio
Thurgood Marshall Fundamental
Middle School
Pinellas County Schools
St. Petersburg, Florida
Martin Luther King, Jr., Middle School
Kansas City, Missouri School District
Kansas City, Missouri
Woodward Park Middle School
Columbus Public Schools
Columbus, Ohio
Medina Middle School
Columbus Public Schools
Columbus, Ohio
Glencoe TechCONNECT
ii
1
Helps Meet NCLB Goals
June 2006
Results. More than at any other time in recent history, attention is being focused on
the results our schools produce. Expectations have been raised. Student performance
standards have been defined for virtually every school subject. Now, more than ever,
teachers and administrators are being called upon to challenge students in becoming
inquisitive and active learners. To achieve the high goals set by standards, educators
and others involved in education must use an array of state-of-the-art strategies and
tools.
This report tells the stories of six schools that have successfully implemented Glencoe
TechCONNECT, as evidenced by student performance on assessments, as well as
feedback from teachers and administrators. These results demonstrate the benefits of
implementing an effective program using successful teaching practices.
The schools share several other critically important common characteristics. They all
have
•
•
•
•
improved student performance.
created exciting climates within their schools to encourage learning.
monitored student progress during the school year to ensure effective
instruction.
demonstrated the importance of maintaining high expectations for all students,
not just the brightest or most privileged.
Let’s learn from the examples set by these schools. In doing so, we can help our
children become the successful learners they need to be in order to face the challenges
and promises of the future.
Glencoe TechCONNECT
iii
1
Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………ii
Results Letter…………………………………………………………………………..iii
Glencoe TechCONNECT and No Child Left Behind……………………………..2
The Glencoe TechCONNECT Story…………………………………………………4
From Research to Real Life: Learning Theories and Glencoe
TechCONNECT…………………………………………………………………………6
Connect to Core Curriculum Integration
Woodward Park Middle School
Columbus, Ohio…………………………………………………………………………8
Connect to Improved Technology Skills
Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle School
St. Petersburg, Florida………………………………………………………………...10
Glencoe TechCONNECT
1 iv
Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Connect to Differentiated Learning
South Park Middle School
Beaumont, Texas………………………………………………………………………12
Connect to Increased Motivation
Belle Vue Middle School
Tallahassee, Florida…………………………………………………………………..14
Connect to Academic Subject Success
Martin Luther King, Jr., Middle School
Kansas City, Missouri…………………………………………………………………16
Connect to Higher Level Thinking
Crandall Middle School
Crandall, Texas………………………………………………………………………..18
Additional Success Stories…………………………………………….…….........20
Professional Resources…………………………………………………………….22
Glencoe TechCONNECT
1
Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Glencoe TechCONNECT and No Child Left Behind
Accountability has become a key word in education. The landmark legislation No Child
Left Behind (NCLB) holds states, school districts, individual schools, and teachers
accountable for classroom results. States are implementing standards for what every child
should know in reading, math, and science for elementary and secondary schools.
Students are expected to demonstrate mastery of requisite concepts and skills through
extensive testing. To help schools succeed in state tests, states have started implementing
high-quality accountability systems, such as Glencoe TechCONNECT, based on
standards, assessments, and high expectations for students.
NCLB’s Technology Literacy Requirement
In addition to increased accountability, NCLB supports the use of effective, researchbased education methods and appropriate classroom technology. NCLB’s technology
literacy requirement states that every student must be technologically literate by the time
the student finishes the eighth grade,
regardless of the student’s race, ethnicity,
NCLB’s technology literacy requirement gender, family income, geographic location,
or disability. As a result of NCLB’s
states that every student must be
technology literacy requirement, schools are
technologically literate by the time the
expected to provide technology instruction,
student finishes the eighth grade.
and students are expected to demonstrate
technology proficiency.
In developing technology applications standards, many states are referring to the National
Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) established by the
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). One of the greatest challenges
faced by curriculum planners is finding classroom technology resources aligned with
state and national content and technology standards. Completely correlated to national
and state content standards, major textbooks, and the ISTE NET-S, TechCONNECT
allows all teachers to integrate technology into the classroom.
Integrate with Core Curriculum
Teachers and administrators throughout the country are striving to meet the requirements
of NCLB. However, providing technology lessons on top of presenting core content can
be a challenge to many teaching staffs. Yet research has shown that using technology in
teaching core subjects can help students learn difficult concepts and deepen their
understanding. With the additional testing required to meet states’ Adequate Yearly
Progress (AYP), technology tools help keep students motivated to learn the core subjects.
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill believes that all teachers and students should have the opportunity
and tools to meet technology requirements and core content area standards successfully.
TechCONNECT is designed to help teachers integrate technology applications into the
core curriculum, so that technology becomes part of everyday teaching and schools are
Glencoe TechCONNECT
12
Helps Meet NCLB Goals
able to meet AYP. Hundreds of standards-based activities help reinforce student learning
in the core subjects of language arts, math, science, and social studies.
Teach Technology Applications Skills
TechCONNECT helps technology
applications teachers meet NCLB’s
technology literacy requirement. The
program not only teaches technology
skills within core content areas, it also
includes dozens of activities related to
computers and the Internet. Every
TechCONNECT activity is correlated to
the NETS-S. In addition, the program
offers 9-, 18-, and 36-week technology
applications lesson plans for Grades 6, 7,
and 8.
This report presents the stories of six
schools from across the nation that use
TechCONNECT. This research displays
the success that TechCONNECT has
brought to these schools. All of the
schools found that the program
stimulated the interest of students.
Teachers commented that
TechCONNECT provides a new method
of delivering instruction by
implementing technology applications
alongside core content.
Professional Development
NCLB also promotes continued professional development for teachers.
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill recognizes that teaching educators how to use technology
effectively is as important as having the technology itself. TechCONNECT assists in
educator preparation and development by providing a variety of professional
development options, including the following:
• Activity-specific suggestions for various classroom computer set-ups
• Free in-service training
• Online professional development courses offered through a partnership with
T.H.E. Institute, a leader in technology integration
• Resources showing teachers how to use TechCONNECT
• Online articles examining important topics related to the use of technology in
today’s school
• Built-in, online training with TechCONNECT’s Interactive Tutor
Glencoe TechCONNECT
13
Helps Meet NCLB Goals
The Glencoe TechCONNECT Story
Glencoe TechCONNECT is a flexible, online, activities-based program that makes it easy
to integrate computer technology into the middle school classroom. The program
supports standards-based learning as it instructs students to create real-world products
using computer application skills. TechCONNECT is intended to reinforce and reteach
key concepts in an environment that engages and excites students. As students complete
TechCONNECT activities, they build an online portfolio of finished products. The
portfolio provides an authentic evaluation of student achievement, and a separate folder
exists for each TechCONNECT class in which a student is enrolled.
Teach Core Curriculum
Each TechCONNECT activity is divided into three sections: Learn, Apply, and Assess.
The Learn section reinforces or extends standards-based content. Some TechCONNECT
activities focus on core academic content, and others focus on technology topics. The
Learn section includes high-interest illustrations, photographs, and dynamic animations
that complement text-based instruction.
Web Link and Handout buttons appear throughout each Learn section. Each Web Link
button connects students to an age-appropriate Web site that promotes exploration of the
activity topic. The Handout buttons open printable PDFs that are available in both
English and Spanish. Handouts guide Internet research, extend or reinforce content, or
help students plan their final product. The Learn section concludes with an Interactivity,
an engaging self-quiz that checks student knowledge of the content. To maximize student
interest, six types of Interactivities appear
throughout TechCONNECT: Crossword
Puzzle, Drag and Drop, Flash Cards, Flying
Answers, Matching, and Tic-Tac-Toe.
Teach Technology Applications
TechCONNECT effectively teaches students
technology skills. Activities are offered at
three technology proficiency levels: Level 1
(beginning), Level 2 (intermediate), and Level
3 (advanced). The program contains Tech
Skills Tests, which are multiple-choice pretests
that assess student performance within
selected applications in the Microsoft® OfficeTM, Microsoft® Works, and AppleWorks®
suites. Each Tech Skills Test focuses on one application within a suite. Teachers can
administer multiple Tech Skills Tests to pretest all the applications in an entire suite.
These tests, which are automatically scored and saved in a student’s portfolio, can be
used to diagnose which technology proficiency level is appropriate for each student.
Each activity’s Apply section develops students’ technology proficiency by integrating
core content into a real-world, technology-based project. The Apply steps guide students
Glencoe TechCONNECT
14
Helps Meet NCLB Goals
through using computer applications to create products such as reports, presentations,
newsletters, graphics, spreadsheets, and databases. Printable handouts of the project
steps are available in English and Spanish. The Apply section also features a Checklist,
which clearly outlines what students need to do in order to create the final product.
One of the most powerful features of the Apply section is the program’s point-of-use
Tutorials. Each tutorial uses an application-specific, step-by-step approach to teach
students the specific technology skills they need to complete an Apply project. Tutorials
may cover use of the Internet, e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and
presentations, among other application types. Tutorials are available for applications in
the Microsoft Office, Microsoft Works, and AppleWorks suites.
Assess and Track Student Progress
The Assess section of the activity helps students and teachers evaluate and track student
work. The content and technology expectations outlined in the Apply section’s Checklist
becomes a Self-Assessment rubric in the
Assess section. After a student completes
the Self-Assessment, it and the activity’s
In addition to offering built-in correlations
finished product are stored in the student’s
to national and state core content and
online portfolio. Core-subject activities also
technology standards, TechCONNECT is
include printable Skills Practice Tests,
also correlated to major textbooks from
which allow students to demonstrate their
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill and other publishers.
understanding of core subject material.
At the end of each activity, teachers may
also assign a TechCheck. TechChecks are activity-specific, multiple-choice quizzes that
assess student mastery of technology skills. TechChecks are taken online and are
automatically scored and saved in the student’s online portfolio. Each TechCheck is
available in an Office and an AppleWorks version. The overall growth of students’
technology skills can be tracked using Final Exams. Final Exams are multiple-choice
posttests of students’ skills at TechCONNECT’s three technology proficiency levels. The
Final Exams test students on multiple applications in an entire suite. As with SelfAssessments, TechChecks, and the Tech Skills Tests, Final Exams are automatically
scored and saved in the online portfolio.
The Glencoe TechCONNECT Authors
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill developed TechCONNECT with other leaders committed to
technology in education: T.H.E. Institute, Plano Independent School District, and
CyberSmart! T.H.E. Institute offers educators professional development services and
consulting services. TechCONNECT has drawn upon the expertise of T.H.E. Institute for
the program’s valuable professional development component. Plano ISD in Texas has a
national reputation for commitment to excellence in technology education. Many of the
district’s online teacher resources for integrating technology into the core curriculum
have been incorporated into TechCONNECT activities. Additionally, TechCONNECT has
adapted lessons from the CyberSmart! Curriculum for Grades 6–8. CyberSmart!
addresses technology literacy by providing skills for safe and responsible technology use.
Glencoe TechCONNECT
15
Helps Meet NCLB Goals
From Research to Real Life:
Learning Theories and Glencoe TechCONNECT
The instructional strategies within Glencoe TechCONNECT reflect well-known learning
theories that are research-based and effective. The unique elements of TechCONNECT
provide motivation for students and teachers to succeed in the learning process.
How Online Programs Assist the Learning Process
The fact that TechCONNECT is an online program benefits student learning. Many
students are familiar with fast-paced, interactive media and may not respond positively to
gathering information passively from lectures or texts. In recent years, many schools have
enlisted the use of online programs to help engage these students. Some of the benefits
that online-computer programs bring to the classroom are immediate feedback on student
progress, customization to meet student needs, flexibility, the ability to target
differentiated learning styles, and an increased tendency to motivate students to learn.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Generates Immediate Feedback
Learning happens fastest when students receive feedback almost immediately, and when
they have the opportunity to apply the feedback to what they are learning. Many
components of TechCONNECT provide immediate feedback to students.
In each activity, an animated content quiz called an
Interactivity provides immediate feedback as students
complete it. Also, after a student takes and saves a Final
Exam, Tech Skills Test, or TechCheck, he or she can
immediately view the system-scored assessment, with
correct and incorrect answers marked, in their online
portfolio. In the Assess section of the activity, the student
completes a Self-Assessment. The teacher can view the
student’s Self-Assessment in the portfolio and use it as a
scoring rubric. The teacher enters a score and makes
comments directly in the Self-Assessment, and then saves it. Immediately, the teacher’s
score and comments appear in the student’s view of the Self-Assessment.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Customizes Instruction to Meet Student Needs
TechCONNECT allows teachers to customize instruction to meet individual students’
needs. Teachers can use the program’s Tech Skills Tests as diagnostics to assess student
knowledge of particular computer applications. The results of the Tech Skills Test can
help teachers determine which activities to assign, based on the technology proficiency
level of the students. To reinforce particular technology or core content material, teachers
can search for and assign activities by standard. Teachers can also select which activities
students will complete and in what order. As a result, students can learn basic skills first
and progress to more complex skills.
Glencoe TechCONNECT
16
Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Glencoe TechCONNECT Offers Flexibility
TechCONNECT’s online format grants users flexibility. Teachers and students can utilize
the program before, during, and after class time. TechCONNECT is a great supplement to
simultaneously integrate technology applications and to reinforce the core academic skills
students learn in the classroom. It also works as a remediation or intervention tool to
bring struggling students up to speed or as an enrichment tool to allow advanced students
to move at their own pace. The convenience and comfort of self-paced instruction in
TechCONNECT creates a flexible learning environment for all students.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Targets Differentiated Learning Styles
TechCONNECT’s colorful environment, interactivity, animation, and audio features
appeal to students with different learning styles. Interactive instruction can help clarify
certain concepts that are often passively learned in the classroom. TechCONNECT
activities help ensure skill mastery and achievement by providing visual, audio, and
interactive features that lectures and print materials sometimes lack.
In the Learn section of each activity, TechCONNECT offers audio, animation, and
interactivity features to strengthen students’ understanding of the concept being taught.
Animations have accompanying audio and scrolling text to help students with either
hearing or visual impairments. The audio and text allow students to listen and read as a
concept is presented visually through animated graphics. The Interactivities supply a
game-like atmosphere that tests students’ understanding of key concepts.
In the Apply section of each activity, students are taught technology applications skills
using a step-by-step approach. After learning the skills, students apply them in a projectbased activity. Working in a project-based program helps students not only understand
concepts but go the further step of synthesizing information. Students integrate both core
academic content and technology applications skills in a project-based activity.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Motivates Students
Completing lessons on the computer not only ensures skill mastery but can also motivate
students more than traditional textbook or workbook exercises. Computers in general can
keep students engaged for extended periods of time, so when students use
TechCONNECT, they are more motivated to learn. The self-pacing of the program also
leads to self-confidence because students are able to work at their own speed. The
immediate feedback, customization, flexibility, and interactivity that are included in
TechCONNECT create an engaging environment where students remain focused and
motivated throughout their learning experience.
TechCONNECT’s online format provides an instructional tool for students and teachers
that exceed the limitations of educational print products. The teachers and schools
included in this report support the research on how online programs can benefit the
classroom. The teachers commented on how their students displayed increased
motivation when they used TechCONNECT. Teachers also enjoyed how TechCONNECT
generated immediate feedback, customized instruction to meet their students’ needs,
offered flexibility, and targeted their students’ differentiated learning styles.
Glencoe TechCONNECT
17
Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Connect to Core Curriculum Integration
Woodward Park Middle School
Columbus, Ohio
C
olumbus, Ohio has a population of approximately 715,000, making it the
largest city in Ohio and the fifteenth largest city in the country. Woodward
Park Middle School is located in the Columbus Public School District. Over
1,000 students attend Woodward Park Middle School, and the student-toteacher ratio is 22:1.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Implementation Model
During the 2004–2005 school year, Woodward Park Middle School used Glencoe
TechCONNECT in two seventh grade technology applications classes. The seventh grade
classes, which included students with a wide-range of abilities, used TechCONNECT five
days a week while enrolled in a nine-week technology applications course. Activities
were chosen that aligned with the Columbus Public Schools technology and core content
standards. Kerri Myers, the Technology Applications teacher at Woodward Park Middle
School, really liked the activities that made connections to units being taught in her
students’ core content classes. She stated, “The teacher tools provided in TechCONNECT
allowed for easy… integration of state standards into my technology lessons.” Students
used TechCONNECT to learn core curriculum content and applications such as Microsoft
Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Results
All of the students in the seventh grade technology applications classes were tested to
determine their technology skill proficiency level. The TechCONNECT Final Exam for
Microsoft Office Level 1 was used as the pretest. This exam tests student mastery of Web
browsers as well as basic functions in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. At the end of the
nine-week period, students took
Technology Proficiency
a posttest that covered the same
7th Grade Technology Applications Classes
material in order to reveal any
change in their knowledge of
70
technology skills.
60
62%
50
40
43%
30
20
Before Using
TechCONNECT
After Using
TechCONNECT
10
0
Average Student Scores
Glencoe TechCONNECT
18
The seventh grade technology
applications classes had an
average score of 43% on the
pretest and an average score of
62% on the posttest. Students
increased their technology
proficiency by 19%. According
to Ms. Myers, TechCONNECT
strengthened their knowledge of
both technology applications and
core content. She commented,
Helps Meet NCLB Goals
“TechCONNECT lessons were motivating and engaging for students. The alignment to
content standards allowed students to make connections to their core academic classes
through my technology class.”
Glencoe TechCONNECT Success
Ms. Myers believes that TechCONNECT was implemented successfully at Woodward
Park Middle School. As soon as her students began taking the pretest, she noted that she
could tell they were motivated because they knew they were going to receive instant
results. She commented, “The interactive curriculum was excellent and provided for
higher-level thinking.” After using
TechCONNECT with her students for nine
weeks, Ms. Myers noted, “Overall, I thought “The alignment to content standards
TechCONNECT was an excellent,
allowed students to make connections
motivating tool.” She stated that many
to their core academic classes
students who do not excel with textbooks
through my technology class.”
and print ancillaries perform better using
– Kerri Myers
TechCONNECT’s online curriculum.
Woodward Park Middle School
Students benefited from the program’s
immediate feedback and fast-paced,
interactive format.
District–Wide Success
Cindy Wright, the Instructional Technology Specialist for the Department of Instructional
Technology, Columbus Public Schools, commented on the wide implementation of
TechCONNECT in her district: “It is implemented across all the middle schools in the
entire district. Students are using it during class time, after school, and even at home.”
The correlation to both core curriculum and technology applications standards in
TechCONNECT supports Columbus Public School’s recent change in teaching
technology applications skills. According to Ms. Wright, “We try to do everything with
technology from an integrated approach. We used to have separate technology skills
classes, but recently we’ve revamped our curriculum so that every computer skills class
has to have two separate core content classes integrated with it. As a result of this, we are
now using these classes to help us meet our Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).”
Ms. Wright also mentioned that middle school core content teachers across Columbus
Public Schools really like TechCONNECT. She stated, “The program is really easy for
teachers who aren’t tech savvy to just open up and use.” Teachers benefited from
TechCONNECT’s integration of technology skills with core curriculum because, as noted
by Ms. Wright, “We can’t teach computer skills in isolation anymore. TechCONNECT
ties right into what we do.”
School Information:
Woodward Park Middle School
Columbus Public Schools
Columbus, Ohio
Glencoe TechCONNECT
19
Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Connect to Improved Technology Skills
Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle School
St. Petersburg, Florida
S
t. Petersburg is located in western Florida in Pinellas County. The city has 244
miles of shoreline along Tampa Bay, Boca Ciega Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico.
It has approximately 250,000 people, making it the fourth largest city in
Florida. Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle School is located in the city
and has almost 600 enrolled students with a student-to-teacher ratio of 19:1.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Implementation Model
Students at Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle School used Glencoe
TechCONNECT in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade technology applications classes in the
fall of 2005.
TechCONNECT was used as the primary curriculum for the 16-week technology
applications classes. Students had their own computers in the classroom, so there was no
competition for computer time. Students completed activities using word processing,
Internet, presentation, database, and spreadsheet software. The teacher focused on
TechCONNECT activities that correlated to Florida’s core curriculum content standards
for sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, and utilized all of the standard Microsoft Office
applications.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Results
Students in the three classes took a pretest to determine their knowledge of technology
applications skills before they began using TechCONNECT. At the end of the 16 weeks,
the classes were given a posttest of the same skills. The posttest was TechCONNECT’s
Final Exam for Microsoft Office Level 1, which assesses student mastery of Web
browsers as well as basic functions in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Technology Proficiency
6th Grade Technology Applications Class
70
60
50
64%
55%
40
30
Before Using
TechCONNECT
After Using
TechCONNECT
20
10
0
Average Student Scores
Glencoe TechCONNECT
101
The students in the sixth grade
technology applications class
improved their technology
proficiency by 9%, scoring an
average of 55% on the pretest
and 64% on the posttest. The
seventh grade class averaged
56% on the pretest and 68% on
the posttest, for an increase of
12%. The eighth grade class
improved their knowledge of
technology applications skills
by 13%, scoring an average of
61% on their pretest and 74%
on their posttest.
Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Technology Proficiency
7th Grade Technology Applications Class
The teacher said she was really
pleased with TechCONNECT
and the impact it had on her
students. After using the tool
with her students, she claimed it
was an excellent resource for use
in a technology applications
setting. It helped to increase her
students’ technology proficiency.
70
68%
60
56%
50
Before Using
TechCONNECT
40
30
After Using
TechCONNECT
20
10
0
Average Student Scores
Glencoe TechCONNECT
Success
TechCONNECT was successful at Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle School
because the teacher was able to integrate the program’s activities into her technology
applications classes effectively. She also used TechCONNECT as an easy way to link
core subject content to her technology applications lessons.
Technology Proficiency
8th Grade Technology Applications Class
80
70
60
50
74%
61%
40
Before Using
TechCONNECT
After Using
TechCONNECT
30
20
10
0
Average Student Scores
Students had ample time to
work on activities, as
TechCONNECT was the
primary curriculum for the
classes. This also allowed
students to work at their own
pace to complete the activities.
According to the teacher,
students liked many of the
assignments, especially the
interactive portions. She stated
that TechCONNECT gave her
the ability to work creatively
within the required state
standards.
School Information:
Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle School
Pinellas County Schools
St. Petersburg, Florida
Glencoe TechCONNECT
11
1
Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Connect to Differentiated Learning
South Park Middle School
Beaumont, Texas
B
eaumont, Texas has a population of 114,000. Beaumont rests in Jefferson
County, which is located in the southeastern corner of Texas near the
Louisiana border and the Gulf of Mexico. South Park Middle School is in
the Beaumont Independent School District. The school has an enrollment of
about 450 students and a student-to-teacher ratio of 11:1.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Implementation Model
South Park Middle School started using Glencoe TechCONNECT during the fall of 2005
in an eighth grade technology applications class. Students in the class completed 12
activities using word processing, Internet, presentation, database, and spreadsheet
software. Because TechCONNECT was used in a technology applications class, students
had full access to a computer lab with 23 computers.
According to Technology Applications teacher Rodney Morgan, the technology
applications class included students from different performance levels: “The performance
levels of the class varied from general education students to resource students. There was
a wide range of abilities in the class.”
TechCONNECT was subsequently implemented throughout Beaumont Independent
School District. Mr. Morgan is a curriculum writer for middle school technology
applications in the district. He stated, “As a district,
the technology applications teachers adopted
TechCONNECT as the curriculum they wanted to
Mr. Morgan found that his special
needs students worked harder when use. We assign specific activities to use in the
curriculum.” Therefore, TechCONNECT has
they used TechCONNECT.
provided a curriculum for teaching technology
applications in the entire district. Mr. Morgan
claimed, “The scope and sequence of the curriculum
allows students to be on pace with other schools when they transfer. The students should
not be more than a day or two off of the scope and sequence. This allows students to stay
on pace with the curriculum.”
Glencoe TechCONNECT Results
Before students in the eighth grade technology applications class used TechCONNECT,
their technology proficiency level was tested using the program’s Final Exam for
Microsoft Office Level 1. This exam tests student mastery of Web browsers as well as
basic functions in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Students scored an average of
62% on the pretest. After using TechCONNECT, students took a comparable posttest to
reveal any gains they might have made by using the program. Students scored an average
of 78% on the posttest, an increase of 16% from the pretest.
Glencoe TechCONNECT
12
1
Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Mr. Morgan reported that he really liked TechCONNECT and enjoyed using it with his
class. He especially liked the tutorials and activities, and how the activities were
integrated with the four core content areas: “I found the activities to reinforce the
concepts that I had been teaching.” He believed the activities were well laid out and
appropriate for the grade
Technology Proficiency
level. He also liked having
8th
Grade
Technology Applications Class
Web links inside the
program. He stated, “I like
80
having the Web sites
78%
70
incorporated into the
60
activities. The links were
62%
50
Before Using
good. The
TechCONNECT
[Glencoe/McGraw-Hill]
40
After Using
technical department did an
30
TechCONNECT
excellent job of deleting dead
20
links. Having used the
10
program for the last two
0
years, I noticed that some of
Average Student Scores
the links changed for the
activities.”
Glencoe TechCONNECT Success
Mr. Morgan noticed that his students responded very favorably to TechCONNECT. He
said, “My students loved the activities, the tutorials, and the Web sites.” One student said
she liked the program because elements were “easy to find,” and it was “colorful, not
dull.” She added, “It’s interesting to look at and gives you a lot of descriptions.” She also
said that she liked the animations and the fact that you could “listen” to the animation text
and “not just read.”
Another student in the class commented that the colors in the TechCONNECT interface
made the activities fun. A third student said she liked the program because, “it makes us
listen better. It gives us good instructions, and is easier to understand than when it’s just
the teacher talking.” She also said she liked the Web links because “they give you
examples” of the content and she liked each activity’s Self-Assessment because, “I can
grade myself to know how I’m going to do.”
Mr. Morgan was also satisfied with TechCONNECT. He was able to utilize the activities
continuously and effectively. He noted the program worked well with special needs
students. He also observed that TechCONNECT had an advantage over more traditional
ways of teaching because students could read the instructions as many times as they
needed to and could work at their own pace.
School Information:
South Park Middle School
Beaumont Independent Schools District
Beaumont, Texas
Glencoe TechCONNECT
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Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Connect to Increased Motivation
Belle Vue Middle School
Tallahassee, Florida
T
he city of Tallahassee is nestled among the rolling hills of northwest Florida,
20 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, and 14 miles south of Georgia. The
city has a population of approximately 156,000. Belle Vue Middle School is
located in Tallahassee, in the Leon County School District. The school has
about 550 students and a student-to-teacher ratio of 14:1.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Implementation Model
A sixth grade and an eighth grade science class at Belle Vue Middle School used Glencoe
TechCONNECT for 16 weeks in the fall of 2005. Students in the two classes completed
activities related to the coursework in their core subject classes.
TechCONNECT was used to reinforce benchmarks of Florida’s state academic standards,
known as the Sunshine State Standards. Furthermore, teachers chose activities that best
suited their students’ technology proficiency levels. Students completed word processing,
Internet, and spreadsheet activities that supported core curriculum standards.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Results
Students in the sixth and eighth grade science classes took a pretest before using
TechCONNECT to determine their level of technology proficiency. At the end of the 16
weeks, students took a posttest of the same skills to reveal any gains from using
TechCONNECT. The
Technology Proficiency
TechCONNECT Final
6th Grade Science Class
Exam for Microsoft
Office Level 1 was
70
used as the posttest.
This exam assesses
60
65%
student mastery of
50
Web browsers as well
Before Using
40
as basic functions in
TechCONNECT
42%
30
Microsoft Word,
After Using
Excel, and
TechCONNECT
20
PowerPoint.
10
0
Both sixth and eighth
grade science classes
showed gains on the
posttest. The
technology proficiency of the sixth grade science class increased 23% with the students
averaging 42% on the pretest and 65% on the posttest. The technology proficiency of the
eighth grade science class increased 18% with the students averaging 61% on the pretest
and 79% on the posttest.
Average Student Scores
Glencoe TechCONNECT
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Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Technology Proficiency
8th Grade Science Class
80
79%
70
60
50
61%
Be fore Using
Te chCONNECT
40
Afte r Using
Te chCONNECT
30
20
10
0
Av e rage Stude nt Score s
Glencoe TechCONNECT Success
Teachers at Belle Vue Middle School claimed that TechCONNECT was an excellent
resource for teaching new concepts and reviewing material interactively. The science
teacher mentioned that her students liked the assignments and were more engaged while
using the program than during non computer–based lessons.
Students particularly liked the Web links to related material and the interactive selfquizzes within TechCONNECT. They also enjoyed how the program allowed them to
progress through activities at their own pace. The science teacher mentioned that
discipline problems were minimal when using TechCONNECT. In particular, she noticed
that her sixth graders were exceptionally engaged when they worked together to complete
an activity using Excel that was correlated to the science curriculum. The teacher also
appreciated the TechCONNECT User Guide and found the training and support to be
useful and helpful.
School Information:
Belle Vue Middle School
Leon County Schools
Tallahassee, Florida
Glencoe TechCONNECT
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Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Connect to Academic Subject Success
Martin Luther King, Jr., Middle School
Kansas City, Missouri
W
ith a population of about 444,000, Kansas City is the largest city in
Missouri. Martin Luther King, Jr., Middle School is a low-performing
school in the Kansas City, Missouri School District. Student
enrollment is approximately 600, and the student-to-teacher ratio is
15:1.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Implementation Model
After earning the “low performing” rating for five years in a row, Martin Luther King,
Jr., Middle School was reorganized during the 2004–2005 school year with a new
administration and many new teachers, including a technology applications teacher. The
school used Glencoe TechCONNECT with sixth and seventh grade technology
applications classes and a seventh grade pre-algebra class during the spring of 2005.
Students were exposed to activities that focused on Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, and
Excel. The technology applications teacher coordinated the selection of activities with the
students’ core subject teachers, in order to reinforce the lessons taught in those subjects.
Some of the activities students completed involved making charts, creating rubrics, and
converting fractions.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Results
Before using TechCONNECT, students’ knowledge of technology applications skills was
tested using the TechCONNECT Final Exam for Microsoft Office Level 2. This exam
assesses student mastery of intermediate functions in Microsoft Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, and Access. After 16
weeks of instruction utilizing
Technology Proficiency
6th and 7th Grade Technology Applications Class
TechCONNECT, students took a
posttest similar to the pretest.
60
55%
50
40
30
40%
Be fore Us ing
Te chCONNECT
Afte r Us ing
Te chCONNECT
20
10
0
Ave rage Stude nt Score s
The sixth and seventh grade
technology applications classes
increased their knowledge of
technology applications skills by 15%,
averaging 40% on the pretest and 55%
on the posttest. The seventh grade prealgebra class improved their
technology proficiency by 14%,
averaging 55% on the pretest and 69%
on the posttest.
The technology applications teacher was not the only instructor satisfied with
TechCONNECT’s implementation. The seventh grade pre-algebra teacher utilized
Glencoe TechCONNECT
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Helps Meet NCLB Goals
TechCONNECT as an enhancement and enrichment tool for a unit on graphing. In one of
the activities students completed, they used Excel to create circle graphs, bar graphs, line
graphs, and stem and leaf plots. The math teacher thought the program worked very well
because students were self-directed throughout the activity. She enjoyed using
TechCONNECT because students loved using computers, and the program gave them that
opportunity.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Success
Before using TechCONNECT, the technology applications teacher informed
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill that this was the first time in four years that Martin Luther King,
Jr., Middle School had a technology
Technology Proficiency
applications teacher. Some of the
7th Grade Pre-Algebra Class
students were exposed to technology
applications in their grade schools,
70
but many were not. In addition, 60%
69%
60
of the school’s students did not have
50
55%
Before Using
computers at home. After using
40
TechCONNECT
TechCONNECT, many of her
30
After Using
students asked why they did not
TechCONNECT
20
have TechCONNECT the previous
10
semester, because they enjoyed
0
Average Student Scores
working with the program.
Both the technology applications
teacher and the math teacher stated that all of the students who used TechCONNECT
found the program to be a fun classroom tool that enhanced their everyday class work. In
particular, students enjoyed the research aspect of TechCONNECT, creating their own
portfolios, keyboarding, exploring Web links, and working with all the interactive
features TechCONNECT offers. One student said he liked it because “you do everything
yourself.”
The technology applications teacher claimed TechCONNECT had established content and
offered more resources than other sites and tools she had used. She also liked the fact that
there were links to appropriate Web sites within TechCONNECT, so she did not have to
search for resources on her own. She also noticed that one of her students’ favorite
aspects of the program was how the subjects in their core content classes integrated with
technology applications. The seventh graders in the technology applications class told her
they liked using TechCONNECT to read about the subjects from their other classes.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Middle School’s use of TechCONNECT displays how the
program can enhance student achievement in both technology applications classes and in
core content classes.
School Information:
Martin Luther King, Jr., Middle School
Kansas City, Missouri School District
Kansas City, Missouri
Glencoe TechCONNECT
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Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Connect to Higher Level Thinking
Crandall Middle School
Crandall, Texas
T
he city of Crandall is located in Kaufman County, which is in the Dallas-Fort
Worth metro area. Crandall is approximately 30 miles southeast of Dallas,
Texas and has a population of approximately 3,000. Crandall Middle School
is a part of Crandall Independent School District. A little over 500 students
are enrolled in the middle school.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Implementation Model
Crandall Middle School began using Glencoe TechCONNECT during the 2005–2006
school year. Jacque Burgin is a Computer Literacy Teacher at Crandall Middle School.
She has six eighth grade classes, all of which used TechCONNECT the full duration of
each class time for the entire school year.
When asked about the program, Ms. Burgin said, “I have taught computer literacy for 22
years. In the past, I made my own curriculum because there wasn’t anything out there
that was cross curricular. I have always worked with core content teachers to be cross
curricular.” Now that Crandall Middle School is using the program, Ms. Burgin is excited
because she doesn’t have to write her own curriculum since TechCONNECT does that for
her.
In her class, Ms. Burgin teaches basic Microsoft Word, Excel, and keyboarding skills.
She said her class used a lot of TechCONNECT Excel activities during the second
semester and the students loved them. Ms. Burgin commented, “The activities were well
laid out.” Besides using TechCONNECT to teach technology skills, she also used the
program to reinforce the content learned in core curriculum classes.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Results
Ms. Burgin observed a huge difference in her
students after using TechCONNECT. She stated,
“With TechCONNECT, the students were
challenged further than they expected to be. I
enjoyed seeing them actually stopping to think on a
project.”
Ms. Burgin liked how students were given an
example project and then had to create their own
project from the instructions and data provided in
the program. “That is where higher level thinking
comes into play,” she explained, noting that “Too
many times kids want to reproduce something,
hand it in, get a grade, and move on. With
TechCONNECT, that doesn’t happen – I love to
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Helps Meet NCLB Goals
see the kids being stopped in their tracks and actually having to think as to how an
activity will turn out! I love that!” She praised TechCONNECT for encouraging higher
level thinking, which “is usually hard to find in technology programs.”
Ms. Burgin also mentioned that TechCONNECT helped her address the Texas
Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). This is a test given in Texas elementary,
middle, and high schools that assesses students’ knowledge of core content areas.
Glencoe TechCONNECT Success
TechCONNECT has been a success at Crandall Middle School. Ms. Burgin commented,
“I like the way TechCONNECT activities are designed. An introductory lesson is given
along with very helpful Web
sites to back up the lesson and
show kids where to obtain the
“I noticed throughout the use of TechCONNECT
data they need.” The program’s
that there was a higher level thinking process going
Web site links keep Ms. Burgin
on with my students.”
from having to research all the
– Jacque Burgin
Web sites used by her students.
Crandall Middle School
“It would take precious time
away from me,” to find all those
Web sites, noted Ms. Burgin;
“TechCONNECT has them already provided so the kids can spend time learning the skills
and knowledge to complete an activity instead of blindly searching for data when they
don’t know where to start.”
Both Ms. Burgin and her students found the rubrics in the activities helpful. She said that
her students thought a lot about how they should score themselves. She continued, “With
the online checklist and the rubric and the directions for each activity, students have no
doubts as to what is expected of them. I use those items to grade them as well, so there is
no question as to why points were added or taken off.”
Ms. Burgin claims she received many e-mails from parents about TechCONNECT’s
online portfolio feature. She stated, “Having an online portfolio they [students and
parents] can access from anywhere was something the parents enjoyed investigating. I
had numerous e-mails from parents stating how awesome this program is.”
After using TechCONNECT, Ms. Burgin said students found this program to be more
challenging than anything they’ve previously used. She continued, “I could see the
growth in my students and myself. TechCONNECT is one of the first curriculums I am so
excited about.”
School Information:
Crandall Middle School
Crandall Independent School District
Crandall, Texas
Glencoe TechCONNECT
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Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Additional Success Stories
Core subject teachers at Odom Middle School had a successful experience implementing
Glencoe TechCONNECT. A sixth grade language arts class and an eighth grade science
class used the program during the 2004–2005 school year. With TechCONNECT,
teachers found it easy to integrate technology into their lessons. One teacher observed
that the activities were fun for students and beneficial for review. She appreciated that
TechCONNECT was broken down simply so
that content was not overwhelming, and that it
was user friendly for students. She reported that
TechCONNECT made synthesis easy, allowing
students to pull information from various
sources to produce a product. One student said
TechCONNECT taught her the valuable skills of
evaluating and identifying “good Web sites with
true information.” Her favorite parts of
TechCONNECT were the Web links and the
interactive self-quizzes, which she said helped
her study for tests.
Odom Middle School
Beaumont Independent School District
Beaumont, Texas
General Sherman Junior High School started
using Glencoe TechCONNECT with the entire
eighth grade during the 2004–2005 school year.
Two math teachers, two language arts teachers,
one social studies teacher, and a library assistant
introduced 220 eighth grade students to
TechCONNECT. The teachers at General
Sherman Junior High School thought the training provided by Glencoe/McGraw-Hill was
effective, and they liked the self-directed concept employed by the program. One of the
math teachers was particularly complimentary about an activity involving geometric
patterns. She said there was no way a teacher in a traditional classroom could illustrate
the replication or rotation of various geometric figures in many different ways, as is
possible on a computer monitor. Because of this, she claimed TechCONNECT was a very
powerful learning tool for her eighth graders.
General Sherman Junior High School
Lancaster City Schools
Lancaster, Ohio
Glencoe TechCONNECT
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Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Two seventh grade technology applications classes at Medina Middle School used
Glencoe TechCONNECT during the 2004–2005 school year. The students were exposed
to activities related to the required benchmarks and skill components for the technology
applications course. After using TechCONNECT with his students, the technology
applications teacher claimed the tool was an excellent resource for the core academic
courses and could lead to significant gains in technology proficiency.
Medina Middle School
Columbus Public Schools
Columbus, Ohio
Monroe Alternative Middle School used
Glencoe TechCONNECT during the 2004–
2005 school year with two sixth grade
technology applications classes. The sixth
graders were exposed to activities involving
Web browsers, keyboarding, word
processing, and spreadsheets. To choose
activities, the teacher would identify a
benchmark and then examine the activities
for technology level and reading level.
According to the teacher, students really liked the assignments and were engaged in the
activities. After using TechCONNECT with her students, the teacher felt it was an
excellent resource for the core academic areas.
Monroe Alternative Middle School
Columbus Public Schools
Columbus, Ohio
Hilltonia Middle School began using Glencoe TechCONNECT during the 2004–2005
school year. Three sixth grade technology applications classes completed activities
dealing with Web browsers, word processing, and spreadsheets. These activities
reinforced the school’s social studies and science curricula. The social studies, science,
and technology applications teachers were pleased that students were so captivated by
TechCONNECT’s activities. The teachers indicated that some of their low-motivated
students became very engaged upon using the program. They also reported that some
students “seemed to be drawn to TechCONNECT.” The teachers praised the program for
allowing students to move at their own pace, which eliminated off-task problems.
Hilltonia Middle School
Columbus Public Schools
Columbus, Ohio
Glencoe TechCONNECT
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Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Professional Resources
No Child Left Behind Resources
Department of Education No Child Left Behind page
http://www.ed.gov/nclb
No Child Left Behind’s technology literacy
requirements
http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg34.html
Learning Theory Resources
Kulik, James A., Robert L. Bangert, and George W.
Williams. “Effects of ComputerBased Teaching on Secondary School
Students.” Journal of Educational
Psychology, 75 (1983): 19–26.
Roschelle, Jeremy, Roy Pea, Christopher Hoadley,
Douglas Gordin, and Barbara Means.
“Changing How and What Children Learn in
School with Computer-Based Technologies.”
The Future of Children 10 (2001): 76–101.
Schofield, Janet W. Computers and Classroom
Culture. New York: Cambridge
University Press, 1995.
Soe, Kyaw, Stan Koki, and Juvenna M. Chang. “Effect of ComputerAssisted Instruction (CAI) on Reading Achievement: A Meta-Analysis.”
Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (2002), http://www.prel.org/
Products/Products/effect-cai.htm.
Photo Credits Royalty-free/PhotoDisc cover (tl), cover (tr), iv, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 18, 20, 21, 22.
Glencoe TechCONNECT
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Helps Meet NCLB Goals
Glencoe TechCONNECT
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Helps Meet NCLB Goals
RESULTS
with
Glencoe TechCONNECT
Glencoe
TechCONNECT helps
meet NCLB goals.
ISBN-10:0-07-877782-8
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-877782-0
Glencoe TechCONNECT
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Helps Meet NCLB Goals